Growing Up
by Arlinya
Summary: The PG is just to be safe right now. The romance will come soon I hope.. Anywho... This is a story of the Marauders from Lily's birth to her marriage to James. Mostly seen from Lily's and Remus' POV, I think. On Hiatus until further notice.
1. How it All Began

AN: Just wanted to say that this is my first ever posted fanfic, so please be kind. This is actually the second version of said story, but I hope you enjoy it anyway. I'm trying to take a different approach on the tale of the Marauders' time.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter characters such as Lily and James and Remus. Such wonderfully in-depth characters are property of J.K. Rowling, etc. The only characters I own from this chapter are the parents and their personalities, even then, the names may have been used before. Although I don't think this is true, if I have copied work by any other fanfiction author, I apologize. I really haven't recognized any of that in here and I'm trying not to. 

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And So, Our Story Begins

May 13, 1957, ended with a beautiful addition to the Evans family. Her name was Lily Anastasia Evans. Her mother, Amaryllis, had asked that her family tradition of naming the females in the family after flowers be continued. Both of her parents had decided that, because of her Russian heritage on her father's side (he was half-Russian through his mother), she would have a Russian middle name. For reasons that Nathaniel and Amaryllis Evans never understood, they chose the name Anastasia which meant 'she who will rise again.' Lily, unlike her older sister Petunia Melanie, had the vibrant red hair of her paternal grandmother and her mother's vibrant, deep green eyes. Petunia Melanie Evans, who was five years older than her new-born sister, had thin blonde hair and blue eyes.

The tiny child was, for the most part, very quiet and well-behaved. She spent much of the night asleep and never developed colic. Her parents were relieved. Petunia had been an extremely fussy child and they were unwilling to have to go through that again. When Lily was seven months old, her aunt Iris came over to visit, bringing her own two children along as well. The eldest, Romulus David, was almost ten. He bore a fierce expression and refused to associate with any of the younger children. The youngest child, Remus Algernon, was a sweet child almost the exact same age as Lily herself. His birthday was May 6. Remus and Lily became instant friends. What Amaryllis did not notice were the sparks of emerald and amber threads of light that stretched from one child to another. Iris, on the other hand, did notice it and was very happy.

Petunia loved her little sister very much. As Lily grew older and grew closer to her cousin than to her own sister, Petunia started developing a deep resentment for her obviously odd cousin. She wanted her sister to become a proper lady, but instead was forced to watch as Lily played many of the rough and tumble games her cousin favored. Although Lily and Remus also played dress-up and tea parties, it was obvious that Lily would never fit into her sister's ideal world. Another thing that upset Petunia is that her sister was growing to be much prettier than she was. To be brutally honest, Petunia looked like a horse. Her teeth were nothing near straight, she had a neck far longer than normal, and her blue eyes were a smidge too large to be considered pretty. Lily was often commented on by the parents of Petunia's friends. They remarked on the thickness and texture of Lily's hair, the clarity of her eyes, and the beautiful smattering of freckles that Lily developed from her time in the sun on an otherwise flawless face.

Lily wasn't an absolute angel. As time went on, she grew to be more and more of a tomboy. Spending a great deal of time with her cousin, she could more often be found rolling in mud with a dirty, rather than clean, dress. Lily and Remus loved to play harmless pranks. Often, Remus would come over for the night when their parents wanted to go out to a movie. Romulus had left for boarding school when his brother was only a year old.

When the inseparable cousins were three, they frightened a babysitter by somehow managing to turn her hair three different colors. Both mothers thought it was rather funny. Amaryllis thought that the teen had done it herself and was merely lying. Iris winked at the two conspiratorially. Other things happened where the so-called "impossible" would occur. A toy would mysteriously appear in a play-pen when the toy had previously been in a bedroom. Amaryllis, called Amy by her sister and husband, merely shrugged her shoulders and put it down as a case of her doing something and forgetting about it. The lives of the children were, for the most part, happy ones. Then, on the first night of a full moon during the summer of their fourth year, disaster threatened to tear their world apart.

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Lily and Remus were sitting on the steps leading to the porch of Iris' house, his mother sitting comfortably behind them on a swing. Romulus, home for the summer and 13 at the time, was nowhere to be seen, although Iris seemed not to notice. Remus merely shrugged when Lily asked. His older brother often disappeared during the night. Remus' father was at work, working the late-shift in order to earn a bit more for the family. Lily's father, mother, and sister were visiting Nathaniel's mother, who was ill.

Lily was wearing a white sundress with tiny lilies embroidered around the hem of the skirt. She decided to step off the porch and chase fireflies that flitted across the lawn. Remus watched happily, pleased to see his cousin happy, but for some reason, watching her closely. As she wandered further and further away from the porch, he got up to join her.

From bushes lining the property and unnoticed by the three occupants, a pair of glowing yellow eyes watched the children with blatant envy. As young Lily drew closer, he attacked.

The first thing Remus noticed was a wolf-like creature heading towards Lily. He screamed, dragging his mother's attention to the situation. Iris pulled out a thin wand and shot red sparks high into the air before pointing it at the creature. Remus pulled Lily as far away from the monster as he possibly could, although the bloody thing started to follow them as they moved towards the porch. As the creature lunged for Lily's delicate little neck, Remus shoved his cousin and himself to the ground. The creature, now revealed as a werewolf in the light shining from the porch, missed Lily but ended up biting Remus' ankle. Remus howled in pain as many distinct pops could be heard around the yard. Several people wearing robes quickly subdued the werewolf, getting him far away from the children. Others ran to the children, noticing the bleeding wound and crying face of Remus. Iris ran to her youngest and instantly saw the bite.

Iris started to cry, knowing what had happened to her sweet little boy. Under the light showing from several wands, his hair was changing from it's previous blonde into a pale brown, becoming much thicker in the process and it continued to darken. His eyes changed from their sweet enchanting brown to a mysterious amber-brown, heading towards a full, golden glare. Iris's husband arrived in a tiny pop of his own. Seeing the situation, he grabbed his wife and kept her away from their changing son. As several of the people in robes sought to pull the young boy off Lily in order to keep her safe, an emerald light suddenly engulfed the pair. When it cleared several minutes later, Lily was sitting up, Remus' head in her lap, the transformation stopped in the early stages. Although his appearance would be forever changed by the werewolf bite, it appeared that Remus would never be like the other werewolves.

All four were brought inside the house as investigators appeared. Seeing young Lily holding a now sleeping Remus away from the darkness, the Minister was called in. Being unable to decide what to do, he called in a professor who specialized in that sort of thing.

The professor, Albus Dumbledore, knew the family well. As Dumbledore was the Headmaster at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and one of the greatest Wizards of all time, his decision carried a lot of weight with the Ministry. Dumbledore quickly embraced Iris, offering his condolences for the tragic event.

It was 7:00 in the morning before a decision on how to handle the matter was reached, and it was Dumbledore who offered the solution. "Remus was slated to attend the school long before this tragic event. I don't see how this should change anything, especially as it seems the transformation into a "full" werewolf was stopped by Lily, who is also slated to attend. He took the bite in order to save Lily from certain death. If I swear to take proper precautions, will you allow me to still take him into the school? I believe he will retain the purity of the human being he once was and, in many ways, still is. I will plant a Whomping Willow on the campus this summer that will be the cover of a tunnel that will lead to an abandoned house on the edge of Hogsmeade. This is where he will spend every full moon during his school career. Is this solution acceptable?" he asked, outlining his plans.

The Minister nodded, not seeming phased by the odd names Dumbledore mentioned. "As long as you are Headmaster while young Remus is attending school, I see no problem with it. He acquired the curse of the Lone Ones in saving another and, although he will be facing alienation by his peers because of it, it seems like a fair solution to me. It is NOT in any way, shape, or form, his fault that his older brother Romulus bit him. We will be taking Romulus to Azkaban for the required span of time for this transgression. I am so very sorry for your youngest son, Iris. We will also be investigating the Holding Area as well. I believe, if you put him in the basement for his transformations, Remus will do fine. I will speak with you again later." Iris and her husband nodded. All the people disappeared again in the same tiny pops that had heralded their opinion.

Philip Lupin, a top auror in the world of the wizards, hugged his wife as the two of them watched the sleeping children. Little Lily had stayed up most of the night comforting a restless Remus, lulling him back to sleep numerous times. He felt sorry for the two small children who's lives had been irrevocably changed. He did wonder how Lily had stopped a transformation he had seen the results of many times in his career.

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Lily and Remus had remained close, even despite the new problem. Romulus had become something of an outcast among the family for what he had done, but he didn't care. Romulus spent a great deal of time out of the house on holidays and after graduation from his boarding school, was taken out of the Wizarding World for good. He never knew what decision had been made about his little brother.

Lily had taken up the flute and violin shortly after the Incident. Remus was also taught how to play the violin, but chose the piano as his other instrument. It seemed to be another way to calm Remus during the week leading up to the full moon. For Lily, she was forced to keep a secret from her family and often spent the night of the full moon at her aunt's house. The Lupins had moved so that they were closer to the Evans, which turned out to be several blessings. One was Lily's ability to spend the night frequently, so that her parents never caught on to the moon connection. Another was that Lily could seek refuge from her older sister.

Upon returning from visiting her grandmother, Petunia discovered that Lily had somehow grown a thousand times closer to Remus. The resentment aimed at Remus was turned into a hate of her sister, "Perfect Lily." Petunia had grown up to be one of those gossipy girls, always talking about clothes, guys, and hair. Her looks never changed much really.... She remained extremely skinny to the point where their parents feared she was either anorexic or bulimic. That was another thing she hated Lily for. Lily never had to really work at keeping a slim figure, her natural metabolism and tomboyish nature saw to that.

It was May 13, 1968 and Lily woke up at the ungodly hour of five. She had developed a natural alarm that allowed her to stay up until obscenely late hours and still wake up completely by five the next day. It was her eleventh birthday, and seeing as Remus' birthday was so close to hers, they had switched off when the birthdays would be celebrated and shared the party date to save their parents more work. This year, it was being celebrated on Lily's birthday. Lily shot out of bed and grabbed her clothes for the day before slipping into the bathroom for a long bath. She was careful not to wake her sister up, because she would only be given a black eye.

Although very much a tomboy, Lily was extremely shy. She could often be found curled up with a book or playing one of her instruments as often as she could be found at the park playing with Remus. Thanks to the Incident, Lily had started learning about the magical world from her aunt and uncle. Both children knew about Quidditch and how the Wizarding world worked. Lily's inverted personality matched her cousin's which had grown reserved after the Incident changed his life. No longer the happy-go-lucky children of their younger years, both held the heavy weight of knowledge on their shoulders. A knowledge that matured them far beyond their years. A knowledge that separated them from their peers. Lily and Remus only had friends in each other, all the other children despised them for their differences.

As Lily cleaned herself of the night's grime, her mind drifted back to the first full moon after the Incident. She had slept over that night and heard Remus scream in agony as he transformed. She had also slept lightly, hearing his growls and snarls throughout the night. The next morning, when his parents were able to let him out, he had several broken bones and many bruises. In the moment when her Uncle Philip walked out of the basement with Remus a bloody mess in his arms, Lily swore to both find a cure for Remus' lycanthropy and to stay with him, always.

Lily stepped out of the tub and dried off before slipping on a green wool skirt that reached her knees, a long-sleeved and collared white shirt, and a wool vest in the same green as her skirt. She brushed her red hair that now reached mid-back before swiftly braiding it. Tying it with a green ribbon, she let it swing back down as she headed back into her room. She pulled a black cardigan out of her closet and tied it loosely around her neck. Putting in a set of angel earrings, she also slipped on white knee-highs and her black Mary Jane's. She padded as lightly down the stairs as she dared, despite the fact that it was now six. She sat down in the living room and picked up a book she had been reading the other night before bed. She heard her mother get up around seven and heard the noises of the house begin to grow as breakfast was made, Petunia and her father got up, and her cousin popped over.

One of Lily's favorite pastime's was reading. She had always enjoyed a good book and was able to throw herself completely into the story to a point where she could no longer sense the world around her. So it was no surprise that, at eight, when her cousin Remus came over, she was so immersed in her book that she didn't even hear him as he snuck up on her. He pulled the book out of her hands and quickly marked it before putting it down on the nearby end table. They hugged swiftly, Lily giving him a small (cousinly and CHASTE) kiss on the cheek.

After breakfast, other family members started to arrive. Knowing the routine, there were often several presents in the arms of almost every person who entered the house. The Evans were glad that they lived in an extremely large house with a humongous parlour. The presents were separated into two piles of presents on one side of the room. The room was filled with chairs, although said chairs were absent along one wall. This wall had two throne-like chairs flush up against the walls where the birthday children would sit as they opened presents.

Remus came away with many wonderful gifts, including a new violin and several new songs. He seemed content to hug a stuffed wolf cub that had been given to him by a younger cousin who didn't know any better. The wolf cub had beautiful amber eyes and tan fur, much like Remus' alter ego. His father, who merely smiled mysteriously at the questioning look in his son's eyes, had also given him a tiny owl.

Lily had gotten just as many wonderful gifts herself. As a flutist and violinist, she was given new instruments to replace the ones she had received when she first started playing. She was given several new dresses and jewelry. Knowing her love of books, many books were also given to her. She received an owl as well, though it was a snowy owl.

Remus and Lily both smiled happily from their seats as Albus Dumbledore walked into the room. Regarded by the majority of their family as a strange man who had only appeared in the family after the births of Lily and Remus, he was well loved by the children who he spent a great deal of time doting on. Neither of the two knew where he worked or even what he did; though whenever they would ask Iris, a mysteriously elated smile appeared on her face.

He handed each of them a large box which they willingly tore open. Each had much the same things in them. Coupons for a place called Madame Malkin's Robes for All Occasions. Pendants on leather cords (a fairy for Lily, a wolf for Remus). Uniforms for a school they didn't recognize. Cauldrons filled to the brim with books with odd titles. And two tiny golden keys.

That night, after the other families had left and all that remained were Lily's and Remus', Albus Dumbledore gave each of them a letter written on thick parchment and sealed with a crest impressed in a dab of wax. Upon opening it, they discovered that they were invited to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Dumbledore explained what the decision had been all those many years ago, since both had been asleep by the time a verdict was reached. Amy, Nathaniel, and Petunia all learned that magic was real and what had happened to Remus. Petunia, scared stiff of her cousin, ran from the room. Amy and Nathaniel offered sympathetic looks to their nephew.

"But Iris, you never told me you were a witch, or that Philip was a wizard!" Amy exclaimed after the shock had worn off.

"I wasn't allowed to. You were so much older than me that it was never an issue and after I became a licensed witch, I was held under law to not tell Muggles. I'm just so very happy that Lily inherited the same genes that I did which allowed me to be a Muggle-born witch. Philip and I were both in Griffindor, by the way. I do hope the children get into there, although I don't really care as long as they are happy." Iris said softly.

"Well, Lily can come with us when we go to Diagon Ally to get Remus' remaining school supplies and then sleep over at our house that night as well. I'm sure she'll need the break from Petunia at that point. By the way, thank you for giving them a fair amount of their school supplies." Philip continued, thinking hard. Dumbledore merely nodded his head.

AN: Hope you enjoyed the story thus far. Please R&R, seeing as this is my first fic I would greatly appreciate it. I'll update as soon as chapter 2 is done, but I'm not sure quite what to have happen yet. suggestions will be considered carefully, I already have a general idea where I want this one to go.


	2. As One Door Closes, Another One Opens

AN: This chapter is dedicated to my first two reviewers, padfoots-angellover and my first reviewer ever, hum diddly dum diddly (). Thanks you guys. You inspired me to write over a page in one day with your wonderful reviews. That's quite an accomplishment. I'm glad such nice people are willing to comment on my story. CONSTRUCTIVE criticism is greatly appreciated.

I'm so sorry about how late this is, but I've had numerous problems since the last chapter came up. The least of these including the fact that I am STILL recovering from mono and have been getting sick frequently. Wish I could make up for it, but my mind still kind of works in reverse still.

Now that I'm through with my little rant, I guess I should say that I don't own Harry Potter or said characters. Any characters you recognize belong to J.K. Rowling et all. I really only own the plot, ideas, and personalities of the characters. There are also several original characters that make their debut in this chapter, they are mine and are not up for rent.

As One Door Closes, Another One Opens

The rest of the school year was, to say the least, interesting for the two young magic users. Lily and Remus now had one more secret to separate them from the rest of society. They had always been on the sidelines because of Remus' lycanthropy, but they had never minded. Recesses that had once been spent playing hop-scotch and tag, were now spent on quiet conversations about the Wizarding World in private. Neither noticed the looks they were receiving from classmates who noticed the much more confident air around the outcasts. Even if people got close enough to hear the conversation in their curiosity, they wouldn't have been able to understand. Lily and Remus tended to switch from English, to Russian, to Gaelic, to Irish, and back again. This came from Lily's heritage on her father's side since his father had been half Irish, half Scottish and his mother full Russian.

Lily took up drawing, she enjoyed the way she could create pictures of things that never were. She drew many pictures of herself and Remus wearing long robes and carrying wands. She once drew Remus looking far older, in his thirties perhaps. This one she had colored in and you saw a generous lacing of silver in his hair. His eyes and face showed signs of pain and constant exhaustion, his clothes, old and well-worn. On his shoulder, almost invisible, was a tiny glowing fairy, a small butterfly rested comfortably in his hair, and twined around his extended arm was a small, serpent-like dragon. Remus and Lily just considered it a really good drawing. Neither realized that Lily's art had become a conduit for something they could only begin to imagine; something that had only begun to develop.

Remus, well, Remus wasn't doing too well. It wasn't that his transformations had been causing an unusually large amount of damage. It was just the opposite in fact. Because Remus was unlike other werewolves, even though he didn't keep his mind during the transformations, his heart was still pure. His soul was a human's soul, the normal transformation into the typical werewolf had really only been on both the physical and mental planes. There would occasionally be times when Remus would transform, but his soul and heart would fight the darkness that made him seek to kill. At those times, his body would be fairly undamaged, but his heart and soul would be in pain for many months. Thankfully, they often didn't happen more than twice a year, but the first transformation after they had been invited to Hogwarts saw Remus with only a few scrapes and eyes filled with pain.

The only comfort that could be given to Remus at the times of the introspective transformations was the sound of Lily's voice or an instrument she played. No one could figure out what kind of power Lily held over her cousin's transformation, but it was assumed that it was part of what had allowed her to stop the transformation of soul and heart years before. That was one of the more prominent reasons Lily spent the night of the full moon at the Lupin house, and it was the reason she hated the most.

Lily was a very gentle soul for the most part, except when somebody got her angry. She had a huge temper, but it was extremely difficult to provoke her. She had rarely been provoked, although Petunia had caused several outbursts during the years. To see her favorite family member in so much emotional and spiritual pain tore at her heart and she would often cry while Remus slept the day away. To her, it became imperative that Remus be comfortable, not just with his surroundings but also within himself. She made sure to keep his self-esteem up and often took on a great deal of the guilt and blame in order to spare him.

They still played many pranks, having become far more inventive over the years in order to keep surprising people. Once, they tie-dyed the fur of their teacher's dog. Their parents had remarked on how beautiful the dog had looked, each knowing their children had pulled a prank on the teacher that couldn't be proven.

The summer was spent mostly practicing their music and staying away from Petunia, who had turned almost vicious towards Lily and Remus. Neither was adverse to remaining away, they preferred it that way. Lily especially enjoyed the feeling of being free of Petunia, who she felt had smothered her all of her life.

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July 31 dawned bright and early for Lily. She quickly dressed in a red plaid skirt, white button-up top, black knee-highs, black loafers, and gray sweater. Her hair was brushed and braided tightly before being wrapped around her head and pinned in place. Running downstairs, she had a quick breakfast consisting of pancakes and eggs before running back upstairs. Grabbing her list and a few other things, Lily left the house, kissing her father and mother goodbye as they prepared for work. She ran down the street and knocked on the door to Remus' house. He opened the door and let her in.

Both sat down on the couch, being opposite reflections of each other. Remus wore a red shirt, black jacket, gray pants, and white shoes. Though the colors washed him out, Remus still looked decent in a 'poor little boy, needs food' sort of way. When Iris and Philip entered the room and saw the children wearing the same colors in different places, neither even batted an eye. It was not unusual for the two close cousins to do such a thing without any type of discussion. All four of them left the house shortly after that.

They arrived in London by 9:00 and entered the Leaky Cauldron. When David, the bartender saw them, he waved, recognizing Philip and Iris from when they had gone to school together. They headed over to talk with him. Lily and Remus spotted a young man in his late teens who sat in front of the bar with what looked like parchment, quills, an inkwell, and several textbooks in front of him.

"Long time no see, you two. How have you been?" David asked.

"We've been okay. This is our son Remus and our niece Lily. Both are starting Hogwarts this year. Who's this young man?" Iris answered.

"My own son, Tom. He's a Seventh-year this year. Say hello Tom, these are two of my own classmates Iris and Philip Lupin." David said. Tom looked up from his homework and mumbled a quick hi.

"Well, I better get these two started in Diagon Alley. I'll see you later, David." Iris said, leading her two charges out the back door into the alley. After counting and tapping the appropriate brick, she turned to the cousins, ignoring the moving bricks behind her. "Lily, Remus, welcome to Diagon Alley."

Both stared in surprise at the beautiful sight before them. The street was everything they had imagined it to be and more. They walked beside Iris as they headed for Gringotts, looking at the individual stores. When they got to their vaults, side by side in the tunnels, and the vaults were opened, both gasped in surprise. Both of their vaults were filled with piles of money and treasures. Near the front of each vault was a tiny bag which both of them took. Upon opening them, they found enough money to get them the rest of their supplies and for their first year at school. Lily was surprised to spot a few crowns and old dresses in her vault before she left.

After exiting Gringotts, the threesome immediately headed over to a store called Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions. Iris handed the woman the two coupons the cousins had received for their birthdays. The woman, Madam Malkin herself, motioned them up onto the two unoccupied stools.

The only other stool in the shop was occupied by a girl their age with short chestnut-brown hair and mirth-filled gray eyes. She was already wearing a set of black robes emblazoned with a beautifully colored crest over the left breast. Magically, stitches popped and needles flew, adjusting the size and shape until the robe fit her properly. Remus and Lily were also given robes to try on and watched as their own robes received a similar treatment. All three were finished at the same time. Madam Malkin asked them to stand down as she took back the robes and went to have two more refitted in the same way for all three of them.

"Hi. I'm Arabella Figg. It's nice to meet you. Are you going to Hogwarts?" she asked.

"Yeah. I'm Lily Evans and this is my cousin Remus Lupin. It's nice to meet you." Lily replied, reaching out a hand which Arabella willingly took. Arabella also shook Remus' hand, causing surprise to show on his face. It wasn't long before Madam Malkin came back with their robes. She also handed Lily and Remus another package containing dress robes.

The three children exited Madam Malkin's alongside Iris. Bella turned to her two new friends and smiled. She noticed just how close the two of them stood, with Lily slightly in front of Remus. It interested her because it was obvious that Lily protected Remus from others, not the other way around as was the norm.

"So what else do you guys have left to get?" Bella asked sweetly.

"Just our wands now." Remus responded quietly.

"Then let's go! Sounds like fun!"

Upon reaching Ollivander's and stepping inside, they immediately spotted a pile of wands stacked on the counter. In front of the counter stood a young girl their age with medium-length dark brown hair wearing a set of well-worn, well-made clothes. She was waiting for an old man with silver eyes and gray hair to give her the wand in his hands. When she waved it around, a flurry of bubbles flowed from the end of the wand.

"Excellent, excellent." the man exclaimed, taking the wand back, placing it in a box, and wrapping it up in brown paper. After paying, the girl quickly left the shop, giving the trio a mere glimpse of warm brown eyes set in a sweet face.

"Welcome, welcome! I thought I would be seeing you three soon. Ah Iris Lupin, twelve inches, unicorn hair, yew, sturdy. Come young Figg, your grandfather was a powerful wizard, a pity about your mother of course, but its not her fault the magic did not show through," Ollivander said, motioning Arabella forward. She stepped forward gratefully. As the measuring tape flew around her, Ollivander reached up and took down several wands for Arabella to try.

Finally, after several wands, Arabella settled with a birch wand, 10 and a half inches long, with a dragon heartstring core. When she waved it, a wreath of bluebells fell from the wand tip. "Interesting," Ollivander commented quietly. Remus stepped up next, letting the tape measure flow around him.

"Remus Lupin, younger brother of Romulus Lupin, son of Iris and Philip Lupin. A pity what happened to you. I am glad Albus has made it possible for you to learn in a more friendly environment. Try this, a wand I made especially with you in mind. 11 inches, heartwood, a bit of your brother's form gathered from the compound shortly after the Incident as well as a unicorn hair, great for Defense Against the Dark Arts." Remus took the wand delicately and waved it hesitantly. The tip glowed for a second before revealing a faint silver cloud in the shape of a violin. Iris smiled with relief. "Congratulations Mr. Lupin. Ms. Lily Evans, I do believe that makes it your turn."

Lily stepped up and had the tape measure her. After going through two wands that broke a window and blew up the vase on the counter (respectively), Lily was given a different wand altogether. When she waved this wand (ten and a quarter inches, swishy, made of willow, unicorn hair core), a tiny golden fairy came forth from the wand and flitted about for a bit before disappearing. "Interesting. Very interesting," Ollivander commented again.

"Excuse me, but what's so interesting, Mr. Ollivander?" Lily asked. Ollivander looked surprised that she had heard him.

"This wand was made on a whim out of a branch of a very rare type of willow that re-grows itself and never dies. The core was plucked from the forelock of a silver unicorn, known for being Seers. It is a wand that is good for charm work. But it also a wand made for a Seer. I did not think it would ever be sold. Guard that wand well, young Lily. I have a feeling that something important will happen to you." The look in his unblinking silver eyes worried the cousins and confused Arabella. Iris was positively frightened. All three quickly paid for their wands and left Ollivander's.

"I'd better get going. My grandfather is picking me up in about half an hour. It was a pleasure to meet you. See you on the train!" Arabella said before running towards the end of Diagon Alley and returning to the Leaky Cauldron. 

Iris lead the two down a bit into the bookstore and let them both pick out four books they wanted. After that, she took them back to the Leaky Cauldron and out to the car. The drive home wasn't eventful, and was very quiet since Lily and Remus had their heads bent over their new books. Iris glanced back at them from time to time and shook her head. The book they spent the most time on was a newly released 999 Prank Spells for the Beginning Prankster. She saw the smirks and heard the faint giggles as they looked at each prank.

After the car was parked, all three carried everything into the house. The trunks, which were shrunk by Iris at the store, were carried by hand. Most of August was spent practicing their spells and studying their texts. When Lily became worried about practicing her music at Hogwarts, Philip Lupin owled Professor Dumbledore who assured Lily that he would arrange for the Muggle Music teacher to teach the two in any free time. Thus did the final summer of their normal lives pass. Thus did Lily Anastasia Evans and Remus Algernon Lupin begin the adventure that would save the entire Wizarding world.


	3. Train Rides and a Sorting

Arlinya: sitting on the floor in the traditional Japanese seiza (sitting on her legs) I'm sooo sorry for this chapter being over two months late. I've had a hectic couple of months what with studying for my dreaded AP exams (Lit and Bio) and getting ready for graduation. The computer I load my stories onto the web from contracted a virus and has been whacky for quite a while. Please forgive me bows deeply, head touching the floor. There will be more author babble at the end of the chapter.

DISCLAIMER: Characters of the Harry Potter world do not belong to me, but to the great J. K. Rowling et all (she KILLED HIM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!cries briefly) This is loosely based on the fifth book but much of the information in said book is disregarded. This was started long before the fifth book came out, possibly even before book four came out, and thus, is obviously an AU. If you don't like the idea, the back button is conveniently placed along the top of your browser. If you do like the story, please leave a comment. I'm very self-conscious about my writing and I don't think I'm doing all that great a job. Feel free to CONSTRUCTIVELY criticize my work, I want to make it better. I only own the plot, personalities of the characters, and several Original Characters who are NOT, under any circumstances, up for sale. On with the fic.

Train Rides and a Sorting

Lily and Remus made it to Platform Nine-and-Three-Quarters by 9:30 a.m. on September First. Being so early, they were the first ones there. Lily had said goodbye to her parents earlier that morning (Petunia being nowhere in sight), before heading over to Remus' house. Now, Lily and Remus said goodbye to Philip and Iris before climbing onto the train. They chose a compartment at the very rear of the train and settled in, Remus reading a book and Lily sketching a picture in her new art book.

Later, as the train pulled away from the platform, the door to their compartment opened. In stepped a loud young man with black hair and blue eyes. His sniggering caused the cousins to look up in confusion. Just as he started to close the compartment door, Lily swore she heard a quiet explosion. Glancing at Remus, she confirmed her suspicion when he nodded his head. The young man turned around and noticed the pair.

"Hi! I'm Sirius Black," he said. The smile on his face actually grew brighter at the thought of meeting new people.

"Remus Lupin."

"Lily Evans."

"Lily as in the flower?" Sirius asked. Lily nodded. "Oh. Okay. Well, are you half-bloods, full, or Muggles?"

"Remus is a full-blooded wizard of the Lupin family and I'm a Muggle. A pleasure to meet you," Lily replied.

"What did you just do?" Remus asked, gesturing to the hallway.

"Threw a dung bomb in with a bunch of slimy gits who yelled at me when I entered their compartment. It was so sweet. How'd you know? It was pretty far down the train."

"We both have really good hearing," Lily said, returning to her drawing.

"Huh! Do either of you like playing pranks?" Sirius asked, taking a seat.

"We were both the champion pranksters at our primary school," Remus said. "You?"

"Of course! Let's be friends," he said, holding out a hand to Remus. Remus, still unused to being offered friendship, shied away from the hand. He wanted to take it, he really did, but he was too scared of being betrayed when Sirius found out. Lily, sensing her cousin's turmoil, once again looked up. Seeing the tableau before her, she sighed.

"Remus... It's alright. Trust him. I KNOW that he will never betray you. Trust ME at least," Lily whispered in a mix of Gaelic and Russian. Remus then slowly took Sirius' hand. Sirius, who didn't seem phased by Remus not taking his hand right away, pumped his hand up and down enthusiastically.

"Sorry if I scare you. My cousins say I have a tendency to be rather boisterous!" Sirius said. Lily raised an eyebrow and was about to comment, when she had her hand pulled out and shook vigorously by the slightly deranged young boy.

"That's alright.... I'm sure we can deal with that. It is just that neither of us has had many friends in primary school. We were too...shall we say...different," Lily replied.

"That's the curse of being a strong Wizard or Witch, Muggle-born or not," came a new voice from the compartment door. None of them had heard the compartment door open. In the doorway stood a young man with black hair, warm chocolate brown eyes, and black glasses.

"Hey Jimmy! Long time no see!" Sirius cried, pouncing on the boy. The boy in the doorway quickly ducked and side-stepped Sirius. Sirius flew out of the door and landed on someone else just outside of the door with an "Oof!" from Sirius and a cry of pain from whoever he landed on.

"Would you kindly GET OFF OF ME?!" screamed a girl's voice. Sirius quickly got up. "THANK you!"

Lily got up and helped the young woman stand. Taking a good look at the young woman, she noticed it was the young woman she had caught a glimpse of in Ollivander's.

"Thank you... Sorry about inflicting Sirius on you. I'm Natalia Potter and the boy who ducked is my twin, James. A pleasure to meet you," said the girl, brushing herself off.

"I'm Lily Evans and that," she said, pointing to Remus, "is MY cousin, Remus Lupin. A pleasure to meet you Natalia."

"A pleasure," Remus mumbled. None of the occupants could tell if he meant it. Lily's head jerked around and she stared at Remus for a bit. Eventually, she gave up, sighed, and sat beside him.

When the train started moving, Natalia had already sat down beside Sirius and was quietly reprimanding him for scaring their new friends. James sat beside Lily and watched as she carefully shaded the picture she had been working on. Remus stuck his nose back into his book and continued reading. He did not come out from behind the book until their arrival at Hogwarts.

To the group of five, Hogwarts was a wonderful sight. They split up into two groups for the boats: Remus, Lily, and Natalia in one boat, Sirius and James in another. Arabella, recognizing Lily and Remus, was the last person into their boat, filling it to capacity. She quickly introduced herself to Natalia and the three girls chatted the entire ride to Hogwarts, becoming close friends. In the boat with James and Sirius was a small, pudgy boy with blond hair and blue eyes who shyly introduced himself as Peter. The last member of their boat was a girl named Meredith Bones, who had long, blonde hair and beautiful crystal blue eyes.

Everyone was nervous when they entered the Great Hall. Looking up at the ceiling, Lily gasped in wonder. Dumbledore had told the cousins about the ceiling, but actually seeing it was a different matter entirely. They gathered in front of the teacher's table, where Dumbledore winked at Lily and Remus. By this time, Remus was shaking, worried he would end up in Slytherin. Lily, without looking, suddenly took his hand in hers, gripping tightly. But her grip did not instill further fear in Remus because, although no one except Dumbledore noticed, an emerald light surrounded the two, calming Remus down.

The Sorting Hat amused everyone with its tune (AN: I can only come up with one song and I already used it) about the Houses and how it sorted them. After that, Dumbledore motioned to a professor in her mid-fifties with graying hair in a no-nonsense bun and eyes hidden behind a stout frame of glasses. "Professor McGonagle, you may begin," he said quietly.

(AN: I'll only be hitting on what I feel are major Characters. The rest of the cast will fill out only as necessary)

"Black, Sirius."

'An interesting contradiction, aren't you young Black. You are hardly like your mother's family. Well, only one place to put you!'

"Griffindor!" Sirius whipped the Hat off, threw it at Professor McGonagle, and dashed to Griffindor table, which was cheering at the selection of its first new addition.

"Evans, Lily," cried Professor McGonagle. Lily released Remus, although the green aura lingered for a minute more and sat on the stool. As the Sorting Hat was placed on her head, it slipped forward, covering her face as well.

'Well... Well... I see... Quite the mind you have Ms. Evans,' the Sorting Hat whispered into Lily's mind after a minute or so. 'Beautiful, but complicated... I see a lot of potential in you young fairy, I only hope you fulfill the destiny I sense within you. Come talk to me often in your Grandfather's office, we shall speak more,' he concluded. The next words were said out loud, "Griffindor!" Lily removed the Hat, placed it gently on the stool, and with a wave to Remus and a wink to Dumbledore, sat at the table across from Sirius.

"Figg, Arabella."

'A pity about your mother young one, but you will do her proud. Good luck, and stay strong.'

"Griffindor!" Arabella sat next to Sirius.

"Lupin, Remus," came McGonagle's voice. It was a bit softer and all the teachers who had not been watching the Sorting turned to look at the boy who walked shakily onto the stage. The entire room seemed to quiet down as the Sorting Hat was lowered onto Remus' head.

'Poor little wolf! To become what you are in saving another's life... Your bravery for that feat alone would secure you your place in Griffindor. Be warned, the journey ahead is fraught with enemies and dangers. Trust in your friends and all shall be well,' whispered the Sorting Hat.

"Griffindor!" Remus gladly took the Hat off and walked to Lily's side. He sat down and rested his head on her shoulders, closing his eyes. Lily ran her hand through his hair absently as she continued to watch the Sorting Ceremony.

"Malfoy, Lucius."

'Marry Narcissa Ping.'

"Slytherin!"

"Pettigrew, Peter."

The Sorting Hat took about eleven minutes with Peter, being uncertain where to put him. Eventually, it seemed to shrug and called out, "Griffindor!" in a rather uncertain voice. Peter took his seat at the end of the table, far away from everyone else.

"Potter, James."

'Ah, the Lord of the Forest, a pleasure to speak with you. There is only one place you belong and that is...'

"Griffindor!" James took the seat on Lily's other side, regarding the cousins with worry as to Remus' state of well-being.

"Potter, Natalia," McGonagle called, a hint of fear in her voice. The Potter family had always been a group of pranksters, it seemed to be a family tradition. To have two Potters at once was cause for concern in her eyes.

'ANOTHER Potter, eh? Well, you all have too much courage and integrity to go anywhere else...'

"Griffindor!" Natalia took the Hat off and raced to the seat next to Sirius.

"Snape, Severus."

'Don't let your mind deceive your heart. Follow the path you feel is the right one. Trust in the one whose music calms the soul of one who is punished for being a hero,' the Hat whispered to the boy with greasy black hair.

"Slytherin!"

The Sorting ended when a Young, Lianna was Sorted into Hufflepuff.

After a wonderful feast and Dumbledore's customary speech, all First-years were led to their new dorms by Fifth-year prefects. For Griffindor, the Prefects were Molly Pitcher and Arthur Weasley.

AN: That's the end of the chapter.... Sorry its so short. Like I said at the beginning, I apologize for this chapter's lateness. I was not only busy and sick, but I had no inspiration. My new muse, Kiriko, has given me quite a bit of inspiration for the next few chapters. (A young, thirteen-year-old girl with sky blue hair and light gray eyes peers out from behind Arlinya and waves at the crowd) She's rather shy, so you probably won't see her much. Special thanks goes out to my reviewers. I think I even got put on a favorites list by someone, which is quite an honor for a first time author. I also give special thanks to my calabash kazoku, who will be the basis of many character interactions in future chapters, especially my imouto who will provide the behavior of one Natalia Potter and has pushed me to continue writing whenever I am down. It's been a wild ride guys, thanks for the great five years we shared! I'll catch you all sometime in July, I hope, so I'll see you later (or, as the Japanese say, Matta ne!).


	4. A Prophecy

Kiriko peers out at the reader from behind Arlinya's desk chair.

Konnichiwa... Arlinya-sama is a little busy right now with trying to enjoy her summer while doing everything required of her. Arlinya enters the room Here she is.... Ja! Kiriko rushes out of the room.

Heyla everyone! I'm back with another chapter for all of you. I know a lot of people probably aren't reading this since I update so rarely and my brother has informed me of the boring nature of the first chapter. For those of you reading this now, I greatly appreciate your patronage, whether you review or not. My dream is to one day write real stories of my own and have them published so please help me develop a writing style worthy of being read. I hope all of you enjoy this new chapter.... It's going to move a bit quickly, with lots of information packed inside.

Disclaimer: Standard disclaimers apply. Some of the characters are mine, the personalities of the characters are on loan to me from my calabash family, the plot is mine, etc. NO STEALING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A Prophecy

The first day of classes saw Arabella up and about at six in the morning, which was an unusual time for her. When she walked down the stairs, she was surprised to see Lily and Remus sitting together on one of the sofas in the Common Room.

"How long have you two been up?" she asked quietly as she approached them.

"Morning, Bella," Lily called back. "We got up at five."

"Why? Are you nervous?"

"No," Remus started, almost too softly for Arabella to hear. "We usually get up at that time. We've always been early risers."

Arabella nodded distractedly. Remus was looking a little more pale than the previous night and Lily was still sitting slightly forward. It seemed to be unconscious, which made it even more obvious that Lily was the dominant "guardian" personality in the relationship. Arabella noticed these things and filed them away for later observation.

Shortly after that, all of the First-year Griffindors were gathered in the Common Room. All of them were already dressed in their school robes and carried their bags full of books. Peter was sleepily trailing behind everyone else while Meredith walked beside a wide-awake Lily. Lily was animatedly talking about her life as a Muggle for the Wizard-born Meredith. No one seemed to notice Remus' growing lethargy.

The Great Hall was found quickly due to Lily. Breakfast was eaten at a reasonable rate, since they had all gotten up before seven-thirty. When Professor McGonagle handed out their time tables, they all wondered at the content of the classes. Lily, Remus, Arabella, and Natalia had all at least looked at their texts while Sirius and James had more fun reading Quidditch through the Ages.

First, they had Charms with Professor Flitwick, a new, middle-aged professor at the school. At least, that's what he told them. Lily had a sneaking suspicion that by Wizard standards, he was quite old. She instinctively knew when he started talking that he wasn't human. It didn't help that, despite claiming to be middle-aged, Flitwick had gray hair and a long silver beard. The wrinkles on his face came from smiling so much. He was a tiny little fellow, no higher than three feet.

That didn't mean that she didn't like the tiny man who stood on a pile of books in order to see over the podium. Quite the opposite, in fact. At the end of the period, even though they hadn't done more than read the first chapter of the book, she had fallen deeply in love with the class.

Next came double Transfiguration with Hufflepuff and Professor McGonagle. They spent the first period copying notes from the board at the front of the classroom, as well as the theory behind the two spells they would be trying today.

The first spell was to change a piece of straw into a needle. The movement of the wrist and the wand was important, as well as the pronunciation of the words. The second task was to change the needle BACK into a piece of straw.

James excelled in this class, earning twenty House points for Griffindor by being able to get both spells within five minutes, each on the first try. Lily had quite a bit of trouble with transforming it into a good needle, requiring tutoring from both James and Remus. Many of the Hufflepuffs glared at the six Griffindors, since they weren't even able to transform the straw into a needle.

After a hearty lunch, they ended their day with Herbology. Natalia did well here, handling the plants professionally and with minimal fuss. They were only working on the water iris, but many people ended up soaked before the end of the period. Water iris was a plant that looked much like the Muggle flower for which it was named, but when it sensed danger it sprayed the intruder with water.

The first signs of trouble appeared the next day, during breakfast. Remus, who had stayed behind in the dorm to get something out of his chest, was late coming to breakfast. When he entered the Great Hall, he entered in front of a group of Slytherins. The Slytherins quickly walked by, tripping Remus.

Remus fell to the ground, a faint cracking sound could be heard. Lily, who had seen the whole thing, was livid. The Slytherins had turned to laugh at Remus, their backs to her. She quickly got up from the bench, surprising James, who was sitting next to her. Furious, she stormed over to the Slytherins, stopping directly behind them.

"How DARE you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" she screeched, causing even the Seventh-year Slytherin to jump in surprise. The entire Great Hall became silent, watching events unfold. Even the teachers had stopped to see the reaction.

"What is your problem, little Griffindor?" asked the Sixth-year who had tripped Remus, turning to face the young Evans. She was surprised to be met with a pair of emerald fires that had replaced the eyes of Lily Evans.

"My problem is YOU!!!!!!!! How DARE you do that to Remus? He has never done anything to you! He's younger, frailer, and, yes, even WEAKER than you are!" was Lily's reply. It was obvious that she was going to make the Slytherin pay.

"What are you going to do about it, Mudblood?" asked the Seventh-year Slytherin. Lily's eyes were practically shooting daggers at the lot of them at that. She walked directly through the group of Slytherins and knelt next to Remus, ignoring everyone, she did a quick once-over of Remus' condition. Seeing he had cracked a few ribs, she helped him up, supporting him on his injured side so that the pressure on the ribs wasn't so bad. As she slowly walked towards the teachers' table, she helped Remus shuffle along.

Turning around, Lily regarded the Slytherins with another cold glare. "I have an excellent memory. I will remember all of your faces from here on out. Hurt my cousin or call me a Mudblood again, and I will make you pay. The teachers won't catch me at it either. My blood is just as pure as Remus' and don't you ever forget it. NOBODY hurts my family. NOBODY," she said quietly, in a deadly calm voice. The entire Hall heard her. Many others, including most of the Slytherins, shivered at that tone. Arabella was not as surprised as James and Sirius were. Even Natalia, having spent two nights with Lily, was not too surprised at Lily's reaction. Both had been woken up the night before when Lily had violently awakened from a nightmare. Afterwards, they had almost certainly heard Lily say, "Never again...Never again...."

When Lily reached the teachers' table, the new Medi-Witch, Madame Pomfrey, quickly healed Remus' ribs and handed both of them a bar of chocolate. She also slipped each of them a tiny package when she was certain no one was looking. Remus kissed Madame Pomfrey's cheek while Lily swiftly hugged her.

As Madame Pomfrey was healing Remus' ribs, Professor Dumbledore stood up and proclaimed, "That will be ninety points from Slytherin: ten for each of you in the group (there were five), and another ten for each broken rib (they had broken four). You will also each be serving a week of detentions with Mr. Filch. Let this be a warning to all of you that even the youngest and most delicate can kill when their family is hurt." By the time he was done speaking, Madame Pomfrey had handed over the packages.

"Angel, I would ask that you please not threaten other students again, at least in the presence of a professor. Next time, you will get more than the visit to my office that you will pay to me tonight. Clear?" Dumbledore asked, in a much softer tone.

"Crystal," was Lily's cheerful reply. Remus and Lily returned to Griffindor table, almost seeming to forget that the incident happened. The entire Slytherin table glared at the young Griffindors, upset that they now had a negative number of House points.

For the rest of that day, the Slytherins did their best to intimidate Lily. Especially during Potions, which the Slytherins shared with Griffindor. Yet Lily and Remus ignored them all. Lily kept her back to them as she concentrated on the potion while Remus read the book for any dangerous effects. It was at dinner that another strange thing occurred.

Remus looked up when he noticed that she hadn't responded when he told her they had twenty minutes before they were supposed to leave for Professor Dumbledore's office. He noticed how Lily's eyes were glassy and unfocused, staring at a point above his head. She was also breathing too deeply to be fully awake.

"Lily?!" he yelled, alerting the entire hall. Everyone watched nervously while Lily stood up slowly, ignoring James, who tried to pull her back down into her seat. As Lily turned around and faced the teacher's table again, James, Sirius, Arabella, Natalia, Remus, Madame Pomfrey, and Professor Dumbledore noticed two things: Lily's fairy pendant was glowing a bright silver, and Lily's eyes were giving off a soft emerald light. Lily started to speak in an oddly detached voice into the silent room.

"In the year of the Darkness's first appearance,

Seven children shall be born to our world.

One of the seven is destined for darkness,

Blaming another for his darkest deed.

Another to carry the burden of shame,

Blamed for a crime he shall NEVER commit.

One to be ridiculed by his peers for a deed

That prevented another's death.

One to hide within the darkness,

To learn the secrets hidden within.

Another to bear the mark of honor,

To lay the course for a child's way.

The sixth to bear the Sight beyond,

Knowing the pain that all must face.

The last to watch as all falls apart,

To remember and wait for the proper time.

"The dark child shall be a rodent,

Fearful and frightened of all around him.

One shall be the cause for the creatures,

Turned by their own dark sib,

Yet different from all others of his kind.

The turned one's cousin shall be a fairy,

A Seer, a Charmer, the likes of which

Our world has never seen before.

Another will be Lord of the Forest,

A Seeker of Seekers, bravest of all,

Leader of the pack he guards.

The one to hide within the darkness,

The tiniest of the butterflies,

A false name and true relation hidden.

The playful Grim shall serve the time,

Be destroyed by his own trap,

When the time comes, he will explain the truth.

A sweet little fox will be born to a mother

Whose magic skipped her generation,

When all falls, devoted to their work.

All seven shall enter the Lion's Den,

All but the rodent shall be clever and brave.

"The Light wolf shall love the beautiful butterfly,

Producing an heir who will be placed in

The Pit of Snakes for their own safety.

But they will switch to the Lion's Den

Before the Darkness is destroyed for good.

Features disguised, they will be a dragon,

Falsely hateful of their own heritage.

"The Star Grim shall love the sweet fox,

Wishing for marriage before the

Darkness's greatest triumph.

After Darkness's darkest hour,

They shall be reunited.

Never again shall they part,

Forever bound through their love.

"Fairy and the Lord shall be the first

To feel the sensations of love.

From them shall come the

Savior of our world.

A Seer shall that child be,

With the Gifts of the Darkness,

Bearing thunder upon their brow.

"This last time shall this legend be

Spoken of by the Seer of the seven.

None shall remember until after

The Fairy bears a child.

Only upon the eve of

Darkness's greatest triumph,

Will the mistake be discovered,

Leaving just enough time to avert the deaths.

"Fifteen years shall pass,

With none the wiser.

Only upon the darkest moment

In the life of the Savior,

Shall the truth be revealed.

Such is the fate of our world.

Only through these eight forces,

Can our world be saved."

After saying this, Lily collapsed into the waiting arms of Remus, who had stood up and waited, unsure of what was going on, but determined to stand by Lily through it all. Everyone stared at the pair as if they had grown an extra set of limbs, except for Professor Dumbledore.

Professor Dumbledore cleared his throat and stood up. "I believe its time for bed. Back to your Common Rooms with you now. Remus, Poppy, come with me please." Before returning to Griffindor Tower, Remus had sat with Lily, who had regained consciousness with perfect recollection of what she had said. They had talked with Dumbledore about the need to stay as low key as possible so that no one would suspect Remus' absences were unusual. They promised and quickly fled to return to their dorms.

Thus ended the young First-year Griffindors' first two days at Hogwarts.

AN I know, I know... not that long, but it allowed me to finish this earlier than expected. I now got two chapters up in one month, a first for me. I'm sooo proud of myself. Anyway.... Kiriko would now like to explain something to all of you.

Kiriko: The prophecy is going to be an important part of the sequel to this story.... If Arlinya-sama ever gets around to posting the rest of this one and starting to post that one.... It will be somewhat important to the story as of now, but it was written obscurely for a reason. Anyone who manages to guess where this story is heading gets a cyber-cookie. Sorry... Arlinya-sama is so poor she doesn't have anything else to give as a prize.

Also, there has been no hint of the "Marauders" for good reason--they will appear within the next two chapters, though NOT as you are used to thinking of them.

Arlinya-sama is also working on other fanfics at the same time and is going to start posting a Beyblade fanfiction soon. I know, she changes genres a little too easily in my opinion....

Please leave constructive criticism for Arlinya-sama by clicking on the button below. Even I know she can write better so help her out please. She's becoming desperate, which is a dangerous state for her.

Until next time, we both hope you enjoyed your time with us and can't wait to see you again.

Ja, matta ato de!


	5. Beginning of the Marauders, Part I

Arlinya is sitting at her desk, pondering something. She looks up to notice the viewers Oh, hello everyone. Sorry for the lateness of this chapter. I came down with a really bad virus on the first of July. I'm still recovering. coughs a few times before focusing back on the monitor

Kiriko walks into the room and tugs lightly on Arlinya's blue dress Arlinya-sama, it's time to feed the cats. And you said something about wanting to work on your Beyblade and Sailor Moon fanfics.

That's right. Ah well. Enjoy this chapter. BTW, the winner of the cyber cookie was my good friend, Leviar Astrite, who I know in real life. He managed to get the entire prophecy, though the part about butterflies took him a while and he still has to figure out who the Dragon is. Looks around innocently, whistling That wasn't my fault, really. Kiriko coughs lightly The full importance of the prophecy won't come to light until much later. In this way, Leviar had the advantage. Apparently, my brother also figured it out, but that's hardly a surprise. He does, after all, know pretty much the entire plotline. There's a cyber cookie for anyone else who solves the prophecy, that will be available until it is fully revealed.

And Book Lover, yelling at me to get another chapter out delays the process, I'm oppositional-defiant, medically. It means you tell me to do something, I'll do the opposite of what you want, just to be ornery. That is, in fact, why this chapter is so late. So blame BookLover990 for that one... I hate working under pressure... Ta! Waves and wanders out of the room to feed the animals and find a Ricola Cherry Honey (tm) throat lozenge, Kiriko trailing behind, picking up some stray pieces of paper

Disclaimer: Do I REALLY have to keep writing this? I think, if you are reading this, you are smart enough to know that there is no possible way I could be J. K. Rowling. But the concepts and some of the characters are mine (i.e. Natalia) NO STEALING THEM!!!!!!!!!

Beginning of the Marauders, Part I

Their first semester at Hogwarts had been fun. Remus was accepted by James and Sirius as if the three of them were long-lost triplets. Lily, Natalia, and Arabella were as close as sisters. All six children were good friends, spending many days huddled together in the Griffindor Common Room. They talked about all sorts of things, one of which was Quidditch. Remus loved Quidditch, as well as the flying lessons that they had just recently completed. Lily hated the sport with a passion, feeling dizzy at each game. For the sake of Remus, she continued to watch the games, but in no way did she enjoy them. She also had a slight fear of heights that made flying lessons with Madame Hooch very interesting.

Meredith and Peter were so shy and unassuming that they just kind of faded into the shadows. That's why the six children barely noticed that they had roommates. The six discovered a mutual love of pranks, laughing at many of Peeves' pranks (yes, even the ones he pulled on them). There was also a mutual hate of all Slytherins. This developed from the fact that many Slytherins still picked on Remus. After the second time that it happened, Lily, James, and Sirius pulled a nasty prank on the Slytherins. They weren't caught at it, since Lily had been too clever with the invisibility charm, but it was well-known by that point that Remus was protected by Lily, James, and Sirius.

By winter, each of them had found a class that they loved best. For Lily, it was Charms, although Potions came in a close second. Remus loved Defense Against the Dark Arts, scaring Lily for a while until he explained that it was better to be prepared since they would most likely come knocking on his door. James was the pet of Professor McGonagle, though neither of them would willingly admit it. Sirius loved star-gazing and managed pull ahead of the entire Astronomy class by about a year. Natalia did best in Herbology and Arabella LOVED History of Magic, even though she would also fall asleep during Professor Binns' lessons. No one could understand how a ghost teacher could be so boring.

Remus' disappearances went unnoticed by the rest of the group, thanks to Lily's many distractions. The cousins also made sure to both disappear almost randomly, to keep the others on their toes. Their music lessons, held in the Muggle Studies classroom, were held randomly throughout the week since their private instructor was allowed to raise her family on Hogwarts grounds.

After mid-term exams were completed, the group was sitting together in the Common Room, discussing what they planned to do over the break. James and Natalia were expecting to go home to another empty house since their parents worked so much. Sirius, having told them about his mother's disappointment in his choosing Griffindor over Slytherin, wasn't looking forward to his trip home. Even Arabella expected to have an uneasy winter break since her grandfather lived with them and would be talking loudly about being disgusted by his own daughter. She knew he was planning to use her as a way to further hurt her mother.

Even Lily and Remus weren't looking forward to their winter break. They had gotten a letter from Iris and Philip, saying that Romulus had arrived unexpectedly the day before, and that he was planning to stay through the winter. Neither of them was happy about that fact since it meant the one safe-haven they had from Petunia was now an even worse place to be. Shortly after that letter though, came a letter from Amaryllis that said Petunia was staying with some of her friends for the winter. It also asked Lily to invite some of her friends over. Lily and Remus immediately asked their friends to join them.

Since the request came only a few days before the beginning of winter recess, everyone was tensely waiting for the results. James and Natalia quickly received permission from their parents the following morning. Arabella's mother sent a grateful letter to Lily thanking her for the offer. Arabella said her mother was allowing her to go because Grandfather Figg was becoming violent and Arabella's mother didn't feel it was safe for her to return home. It wasn't until the day they were supposed to leave that Sirius received word from his mother in the form of a Howler.

Sirius quickly ran out of the room with the Howler and didn't return for almost an hour. Even after breakfast had long been cleared away by the House Elves (who enchanted Lily with their unusual appearance), the remaining five children waited for Sirius to return. When Sirius did return, it was obvious that he had been crying. The tearstains on his face contrasted greatly with skin that was much lighter than it should have been. All three girls quickly got up and hugged him tightly, not even asking him whether he could attend or not. Remus, who had grown up around mostly women, felt compelled to do something. Unfortunately for him, the full moon was two nights away and he was saving his energy so that he could actually get onto the train later. James looked on sadly, having seen the results of a message from Sirius' mother many times before.

After wiping away the last vestiges of his tears, Sirius did manage a reassuring smile and hug for each of the girls. Turning to Lily, he simply said, "I can go." No one asked any questions, merely went up to the Tower and gathered their trunks. Arabella was the only one who noticed that Lily had not only switched trunks with Remus, she had also cast a quick charm to make it lighter for him.

The train ride was interesting for the six companions, who sat in a compartment together. They played Exploding Snap, Muggle Poker (taught to them by Remus and Lily), and Wizard Chess. They spent a lot of time joking around and planning pranks for the break. Lily made them promise to not do anything too dangerous OR involving magic of any kind. Sirius reluctantly agreed shortly after James capitulated.

Nathaniel Evans met all six just outside the entrance to Platform Nine and Three-quarters. He expertly maneuvered through the crowded train station, and led them to the family van. There was barely enough room for all six trunks, all six pets, and the seven people. Although the trip to the Evans residence was cramped, no one could be happier. Lily and Remus were home, amongst people who understood and loved them. James and Natalia were actually spending their holidays with human beings. Sirius was just happy to be invited to stay amongst a group of people. Arabella was glad to be away from the clash of two different worlds.

Their first glimpse of the house caused everyone to gasp in surprise. James was impressed by how small the place was. Natalia, by its coziness. Arabella, although used to the Muggle world, had never seen such a cheery place. Sirius was impressed by the size as well, uncertain if all of them could fit comfortably inside. Remus and Lily were surprised. The house had undergone some serious renovations while they were away. It didn't look at all like it had before and was much larger as well.

Upon entering, Remus collapsed slightly, leaning against the wall as he tried to take off his shoes. No one else noticed this, since Lily was thoroughly distracting them by tearing her shoes off and running into the foyer. Following her as quickly as possible, they left Remus behind, who allowed himself to slump to the ground. They entered the foyer to see Lily in the arms of someone they assumed was her mother. The two women in the room were remarkably similar in appearances.

"Welcome home sweetie," the woman hugging Lily said. Lily just hugged her tighter.

"It's good to be home, Mama," Lily replied. Finally releasing each other, Lily turned to the group. "Mama, allow me to introduce the four friends Algy and I made at Hogwarts. This is Sirius Black, James Potter, Arabella Figg, and Natalia Potter." Each child waved politely when their name was called. "Guys this is my mother, Amaryllis Evans."

"Call me Amy, kids."

"The other woman over here," Lily said, waving towards the other couple sitting on the couch, "is Remus' mother, my Aunt Iris. Next to her is my Uncle Philip."

"Nice to meet you," Natalia, Arabella, and Iris said at varying times. James, Sirius, and Philip just nodded politely.

"Aunt Amy? Mama? Papa?" Remus called from the doorway. Iris stood up and rushed over to her son, hugging him tightly.

"Welcome home, son," Philip said, also pulling Remus in for a hug after he was brought over to the couch. Remus sat down heavily between his parents, leaning against his mother, while Lily took a seat in her father's lap once he was seated. The remaining children took seats around the room.

The parents were impressed by the friends their children had made. They noticed how James was always supporting the others in the group, much like they had seen Lily do all her life, while still having a very easy going nature. Sirius was the affable joker, but the parents, having experience with their children's hiding, quickly noticed the signs of a troubled family life. Arabella was the sweet and playful companion, always ready with a smile and a wish to help. Natalia was James' opposite in many ways, a quiet book lover, who had an innate love of plants and pranks. They also noticed that Remus was far more comfortable in his own skin and that Lily was more relaxed amongst their friends.

"Lily, Remus," Amy called gently, noticing the time, "take your friends upstairs to their rooms. Remus, sweetie, take a nap, while Lily shows your friends the house from TOP to BOTTOM, thoroughly."

"Yes, mama," Lily replied, understanding instantly.

"Of course Aunt Amy," was Remus' reply, as he wearily stood from his seat.

After settling quickly into their rooms, the others followed Lily up another floor to the attic, which had been reorganized into a music room for Lily and Remus. Lily exclaimed in surprise at the discovery and spent a few minutes inspecting the room. The others, not knowing of her love of music before now, watched in interest.

Everyone was therefore startled to hear the sound of breaking glass from several floors below. Lily, in fear, shot back down the stairs, her friends following. They all got there in time to see a man in his early twenties pound up the stairs angrily, followed by Amy and Iris, who were trying to convince him to come back downstairs.

"NO! What gives him the right to go to that school when I cannot?!" the man screamed at the two. Lily, to the amazement of the group, stepped in front of Remus' door and spread her arms out, to prevent the man from passing. When he reached her, he snarled. "Out of my way, small fry!"

"NO!" Lily yelled back, without fear and with a great deal of anger. "You lost the right to go to Hogwarts the night you chose to follow that friend of yours. You further took yourself out of Grandfather's good graces the night you tried to KILL me!" She ignored the gasps of surprise and fear from her friends. "So get out of here Romulus, and let Remus sleep. He's a far better person than you could ever be!"

"I must insist that you listen to Lily, Romulus. You are no longer welcome in this house after your display downstairs and I think it would be best if you left your mother and father alone as well. If you don't, I will be forced to call both the Muggle police and the Ministry of Magic. I know how much you don't want to get in trouble again," Nathaniel calmly said, coming up the stairs slowly to stand beside his daughter.

"FINE!" and with that, Romulus Lupin disappeared from the house and, hopefully, from the lives of Remus and Lily, forever.

Sighing, Iris apologized profusely for the behavior of her eldest son, "Romulus never liked the fact that, since Remus was born seven years after he was, he seemingly got more attention. He's resented Remus and Lily all their lives for their sweet natures and the fact that they are loved by everyone. Please forgive us for exposing you to him." Turning to Lily, she continued with, "That was brave, little flower, but foolish. Why don't you rest, we'll take care of your friends for a bit."

"Yes, Auntie Iris," was Lily's only reply.

AN: I'll end here for now, Kiriko-chan has up and disappeared. Also, I won't be getting another chapter out this month, or even early next month, if at all. August is going to be a busy time for me, since I'm leaving for my first year of college and I have New Student Orientation to get to. I'll be busy packing and going to my five appointments. Also, I need to spend time with my friends and I am thus planning for a b-day/going away party. So I have better things to do than concentrate wholly on this story, and I'm sorry that I'll have to keep you waiting. But school work has, and always will, come first. Ja ne! See you in September, if worst comes to worse.


	6. Beginning of the Marauders, Part II

Disclaimer: I own the personalities, the plotlines, and Natalia. The rest was created for our reading pleasure by J.K. Rowling. We fanfic authors just twist it to fit our own views of life.

Dedicated to my grandmother, who meant the world to me. May she rest in peace.

Beginning of the Marauders, Part II

That night, the entire group gathered in the parlor to talk. Remus literally curled up in Lily's lap, his legs tucked securely against the cushions of the couch. Lily was obviously very upset, but still comforted Remus to the best of her ability, allowing none of her feelings to lace her voice. For a while, the others only watched her, confused.

Finally, when Remus had relaxed a bit and Lily's eyes stopped sparking eerily, James was the one to put forth the question on all of their minds.

"What happened earlier?"

Lily grimaced, knowing that the question would come up. She glanced down at Remus, who decided to sit up. When she reached towards him to draw him into a comforting hug, he merely shook his head, indicating that it was time. She sighed and leaned back.

"That was Romulus, my older brother. He chose to become a werewolf the year after I was born because he felt that our parents loved me more than him because of all the attention that they had to give me. For ten years, he never really bothered either of us. He'd been sent to a special were school in France and there was a place where werewolves went in order to prevent them from hurting others during the change while they were still adolescents. After that, they were responsible for themselves.

"Like I said, Romulus chose to become a werewolf before my first birthday due to Lily and I being the 'angels' of the family. He's nine and a half years older than us, so he was not allowed to go to Hogwarts after the bite. That made him furious. So he left the house and rarely ever returned.

"The summer after Lily and I turned four years old, one of Lily's paternal family became deathly ill. Since Lily and I were so close, Uncle decided to leave her with us while they took Lily's older sister Petunia. They didn't feel Lily was ready to deal with that kind of thing. Little did they know…" When Remus trailed off, Lily put a hand on his shoulder, silently saying she would continue the story.

"Uncle was working late that night, so Aunt Iris was watching the two of us as we played in the garden, which was not unusual for us to do during the summer. I was trying to catch fireflies and Remus was chasing me. No one noticed the gold eyes staring out of the bush.

"I got too near the bush and something jumped out at me. It was the werewolf. At the time, I thought it was only a scary wolf and ran towards the porch. Remus ran with me, knowing exactly what that wolf was. We had almost made it back to the porch when we heard it snarl. In surprise and morbid curiosity, we turned around to see what it was going to do. That was a mistake.

"It took the opportunity and went for my throat, aiming to kill me by destroying my jugular vein," here she paused as they all gasped in surprise. She quickly continued, however. "Remus saw what it was doing and, unlike myself, was not frozen in fear. He made a split second decision and threw himself at me. We fell towards the ground and the werewolf flew over our heads. Remus saved my life that day. But when the werewolf landed, its face was close to Remus' ankle. So it bit Remus' ankle, making him cry out in pain. The ministry officials and aurors showed up then, quickly dealing with the werewolf.

"But it was too late for Remus. The bite had already started to alter his appearance. He was born with blonde hair and sweet brandy-colored eyes. When the ministry officials tried to get me away from Remus before the transformation was complete, I just wrapped my arms around Remus and held him close. Neither of us remembers what happened at that point, although Aunt Iris says an emerald light surrounded us.

"The next thing I remember is that Remus was asleep in my lap, as you see him now. The discussion was moved into the house, where they were trying to determine what to do with us. Professor Dumbledore was called in. A decision was made that Remus would be allowed to go to Hogwarts since he became a werewolf saving me. He is also excluded from every single were law that will ever be created. The Minister himself came up with that edict almost immediately after the tragedy, with a stipulation that the law could never be rescinded by later Ministers."

The others let this sink in. Remus kept his head down, waiting for their reactions. Lily kept her arms around him in a comforting gesture, both of them reliving that night. Neither of them had been aware of much during those few crucial minutes that they had been encased in emerald light. Remus had slept the rest of that night away and awoken in a stupor. Lily had stayed up all night and soothed him each time a nightmare plagued his sleep. After falling asleep about an hour before the break of dawn, she had still woken up around eight a.m. and watched over her cousin.

"So what was that all about today?" Natalia finally asked. Remus looked up in surprise.

"Romulus never came home after the events that turned me into a werewolf," was his quiet reply.

"What does that mean in relation to today?" Sirius asked in all seriousness. This was something of a surprise to Remus and Lily, who had only seen the joking front he had put up.

"It means he never knew that Remus was allowed to attend Hogwarts. It means that, once again, Remus was given something he was denied," Lily replied.

"I see. But you said he is nine and a half years your senior and that he chose to become a werewolf before you were a year old. Doesn't that mean he prevented himself from going to Hogwarts?" asked Bella. Lily and Remus both shook their heads.

"He chose to become a werewolf before he found out about the fact that he would have gone to Hogwarts. At the time, the Headmaster was Professor Dippet. Dippet would not allow a werewolf on school grounds and therefore cancelled Romulus' right to attend school," Remus replied.

"Dumbledore is much more accepting than staid Dippet had been. By letting Remus into the school, however, he's caused a great deal of worry in the majority of the ministry, since most weren't there that night. Aurors have a tendency to be suspicious, but the ones who were there that night sympathize with us and actually attend the birthday parties held each year," Lily said in closing.

The others sat, still pondering the situation. For half-an-hour, Lily and Remus sat on the couch. After that time, they stood up. Remus headed up to his room to rest after his emotionally taxing day. Lily turned back to the others.

"Something else I need to tell you. Remus became very emotionally unstable after the transformation. I'm the only one who can keep him sane. Your friendship means a lot to both of us, but most of all to him. Neither of us was liked much in primary school because we always had the weight of this large secret upon us. My parents and sister know nothing of this. Sleep on it. Ponder how you feel about having a friend who's a werewolf. Then, if you truly still care for Remus as a friend, tell him so. He'll need to hear it. You're the first ones other than those involved that night that have been told and no matter what it looks like, it took a lot of effort for us to do that. Good night," she said. With that, she disappeared up the stairs in a flurry of red hair.

The next morning came bright and early for all the Lupin house's occupants. Lily and Remus had already been up for over three hours before the rest of the house. Lily had prepared a simple breakfast of oatmeal and pancakes while Remus set the table. They had timed it so perfectly that when Sirius got down to the table (being the last one up) Lily was just starting to put the food on the table.

Breakfast was a quiet affair. Shortly afterwards, however, James and Sirius cornered Remus, while the girls followed Lily back to the attic. Lily sat down to start practicing her music, starting on the violin. It was only ten minutes before Remus, James, and Sirius joined them.

Meanwhile, once the girls had disappeared from sight, James and Sirius turned to Remus. Remus was nervous, and showed it through constantly shifting feet and eyes darting every way possible.

"Chill Remus. We just wanted to say that we're still your friends," Sirius said gruffly. James nodded before adding his two cents.

"We'll stand by you, always."

Remus gave them both a grateful look. "Thank you. This means a lot to me."

"We know," James replied. He swung an arm around Remus' shoulders. "Let's go join the girls."

"Yeah!"

The rest of that day continued in the same vein. James and Sirius managed to both disappear long enough to allow the girls to deliver the same message to Remus that the boys had. By the end of the day, all six were planning numerous pranks to pull at home and upon their return to school.

The parents watched the children carefully. As glad as they were that their children had finally found friends, they noticed things about the others that worried them. But that was a matter for another time. The most important thing was to watch out for any pranks the sextet managed to pull off. This was entirely possible seeing as three of its members—Lily, Remus, and Arabella—grew up in houses mostly devoid of magic.

It was Lily's father who eventually came up with a name for the group. In passing at the dinner table, he asked the group if they would be marauding any poor neighbors tomorrow. The word grabbed their attention and being bright eleven-year-olds, they looked the word up. James and Sirius came to a joint decision and convinced the girls to go by the code-name "Marauders" at school. The girls insisted that there be two sub-groups, the Lord Marauders and the Lady Marauders.

With a bit of the foresight that would one day prove quite useful, Lily asked that the boys be the only ones to take the credit for the pranks of the Marauders. When not working as a cohesive unit, the boys agreed to simply go by the Marauders while the girls would be the Ladies. The entire discussion had been held in Lily's room, the larger of those on this floor.

However, just prior to Christmas, a full moon occurred. That night, the others joined Lily in a vigil at the Lupin household after Remus was locked into the cellar. When Remus came out the following morning, they all saw just how bloody the process was for their friend and they made a silent agreement to help Lily find a way to help him.

Christmas itself was an amazing affair for the entire group. With their friendship firmly established, the visitors had all settled comfortably into the Evans household. The boys scuffled frequently over the oddest things sometimes, making the girls all giggle. The presents they each received were numerous and meaningful. Each of the visitors was also given presents by the Evans' and the Lupins' as a gesture of their position as honorary family members. Natalia and Lily both helped Remus with his presents since he was still very weak from the physical drain caused by the change.

None of them really wanted to return to school, where they had to hide their knowledge from the other students. Lily suggested even hiding the fact that the others knew about Remus. Everyone agreed to try and fool the teachers, swearing their first oath as the Marauders.

AN: ALL done! FINALLY! I finished this in the airport while waiting to catch my flight. I'm soooo sorry about the lateness, but school comes first and that lost priority to something else for awhile. Hopefully, I'm back on track now. Not only did I not have time, I was stuck on how to deal with the issue of having them come up with the name Marauders. Please read and review, it encourages me to write and post. I won't stop if you don't review, but it gives me warm fuzzies, which feed Kiriko-chan!

Ja ne!

As the Marauders would say: "Until the next Adventurous Prank!"


	7. Holiday Special 2004

AN: Just a small holiday standalone! Not really connected to a specific point in the story.

Disclaimer: The usual, I don't own Harry Potter et all. That belongs to J.K. Rowling. I own the plot and relations between characters.

A Holiday Tableaux

The scene opens on a large room filled with holiday cheer. In one corner is the Christmas tree, tastefully decorated. Under the tree sit a huge number of presents in an array of sizes. On the coffee table in the middle of the room, sit a tray of various Christmas goodies such as taffy, cookies, and sugar plums. Next to the tray stood a pitcher of pumpkin juice, with several empty goblets nearby.

Near the tray, at the other end of the room, Arabella is decorating sugar cookies with icing, sprinkles, and other various cookie decorations. She is wearing a deep red dress that brushes her thighs. On her feet is a pair of red knee-high boots, carefully laced and tied underneath her skirt. She wears a cute Santa hat that tips to one side, the end brushing against her left cheek. Her hair is pulled into a loose and low ponytail with a matching red ribbon. On either end of the ribbon, a tiny golden bell is attached, jingling each time she moves her hair. Thrown over her dress is a matching robe. Arabella is concentrating intensely on decorating the cookies, especially a special set of six.

The cookie shaped vaguely like a fox is covered with brown icing and white icing is applied with a toothpick to create the end of the tail and highlights. It is also given gray eyes. A dog-shaped cookie is covered with icing that Iris Lupin had charmed black, with bright blue eyes. A stag is liberally covered with white icing and little silver balls for a neckline and also as antler accents. The butterfly uses blue and yellow icing with a silver ball pressed into the bottom part of each wing. Another dog-shaped cookie is proclaimed a wolf and given brown icing, with heavy white accents to represent silver fur. Its eyes are detailed swirls of orange and brown icing. Lastly, the one Arabella is working on now is in the shape of a fairy. Each wing is painstakingly being covered with pink icing. White icing would later be applied in an intricate pattern. The face bore green icing eyes and red hair. The dress of the fairy would also be covered in white icing.

The next scene is of another corner of the room where James is putting ribbons and tags on several presents that will be added to the stack already under the tree. He is wearing an emerald green silk dress shirt and matching slacks. He also has on green dress shoes and a white vest. Over this all is thrown a lighter green robe. As time continues, he puts aside the present he just finished wrapping and picks up another. He turns the present over and looks at the letter written on tape on the bottom and addresses the label appropriately. He then attaches both bow and ribbon, and continues.

The camera pans to Sirius, who is enthusiastically cutting up square pieces of paper and turning them into snowflakes. For him, this is STILL a novelty since he never did anything of the sort as a child. He is wearing a red dress shirt and both matching dress shoes and dress pants. He has a lighter red robe thrown over that. Many schnitzels litter the floor in a two meter radius around him, which no one will come near. This is because Sirius truly creates the snowflakes in about half a minute, going so quickly with the scissors that the others were STILL afraid he'd cut himself before they realized anything was wrong. Yet every snowflake Sirius created were beautiful, thus the reason he was always delegated to snowflake cutter despite the danger.

Next, the camera pans to the kitchen where Natalia is baking wonderful foods. She has an apron on over her white dress to prevent it from getting dirty. On the back of the kitchen door on the hangar where the apron would usually be is her white robe. Her white slippers peek out from beneath her skirt and her hair is braided tightly and tied with a white crushed velvet ribbon. Presently, she is stirring cake batter in order to prepare it for the oven. The pan it will go into is already greased. There is flour on Natalia's face, spread across her forehead from when she wiped away sweat with the back of her hand.

Finally, the camera fades to a view of Remus and Lily outside the house. Lily is standing on Remus' shoulder and attaching a sprig of holly onto the top of the entry door. Lily herself is wearing emerald green overalls over a forest green long-sleeved silk dress shirt. She has on green sneakers and socks, visible as she strains to pin the holly up. Her hair is loose, with several ribbons thread loosely through her hair. Around her neck is a ribbon of green crushed velvet with a silver snowflake charm hanging from it. She also has emerald green wool gloves, forest green scarf, and a thick green robe thrown over all of that to keep her warm as she works outside. Remus is wearing a white turtleneck and white slacks. His white shoes disappear in the white snow. He has on a white robe buttoned tightly against the cold as he holds Lily up.

It isn't long before the holly sprig is securely attached to the door and Lily is put back on the ground. Both turn towards the camera.

"Happy Holidays 2004," Remus says quietly.

"From our family to yours," Lily finishes. Both smile at the camera as it fades to black.

**THE END**

AN: Just a little scene that wouldn't leave my head. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. For those of you who are Jewish, Happy Belated Chanukkah. For those of African ancestry, Happy Kwanzaa. To the Chinese readers, Kung Hee Fa Choi (did I spell that right?)/ Happy Chinese New Year! You don't really need to review this, but it would be nice, as this is the first time I've written in present tense… it's harder than it looks!

Leviar: Thanks for the review…. So far, you're my only one for chapter 6…. So sad, everyone's lost interest.


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